Hydraulic ram.



J. E. LESTER.

HYDRAULIG RAM.

APPLIUATION FILED ooi-.11, 1910.

1,1 02,21 "f, Patented June 30, 1914.

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HYDRAULIC RAM.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.11, 1910. 1,192,217. Patented June 30, 1914 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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J. E. LESTER.

HYDRAULIC RAM.

APPLIOATION FILED ooT.11,191o.

1,102,217., Patented June 30,1914J 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT JOHNEMERY LESTER, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, `ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

l TOS. J'. PHILLIPS, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

HYDRAULIC RAM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 30, 191.4.

Application led October 11, 1910. Serial No. 586,548.

State oit' Oregon, have .invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Rams, of which the following is a specifica-` tion.

My invention relates to hydraulic rams, and more particularly to the structureand operation of waste-valves 'for such machines.

It is the object of my invention to provide in a hydraulic ram a simple and positive means for periodically closing the waste opening, which closing means shall be actuated by the stream of water which passes from the waste opening when the same is open.

Further objects are to provide means for regulating or controlling the valve action, and means enabling the ram to be operated when set in running streams where the head of water attainable is very low and where the water level varies so that at times the entire ram mechanism may be submerged.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a hydraulic ram embodying `my invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the casing on the axis of the wheel shaft bearings, and Fig. 4L is an axial section of the gate-wheel. v

In the construction shown I provide a casing or shell 1 having at one end a flange adapted ,tor connection with the drive-pipe 2 which is extended to a suitable source of water supply. The passage through the casing is circular at the end connected with the drive pipe, and in traversing the length ot' the easing is narrowed vertically and Widened horizontally so that the waste opening is et the rectangular form indicated in Fig.

The lower side of the passage is substantially horizontal, the vertical narrowing of the passage being made by inclination of the upper side of the casing, and the sectional area of the passage is made throughout substantially the same as that of the drive pipe. At the sides of the casing are suitable footlugs 2 adapted for connection with basetimbers 4l, as shown.

On the upper side of the casing is a flange 5 to which 1s bolted the bell` or dome 6 which incloses the air-chamber 7. An opening S from the passage through the casing .1 to the air-chamber is normally closed by the discharge-valve 9. Said valve is slidably held in position above the opening by the vertical guide-rod 10 which is held at the upper end by a curved standard 11 and at the lower end is screwed into the spider or grating which extends across the valve opening. A coil spring 1Q is disposed around the guide-rod and normally holds the valve down upon its seat. Adjusting-nuts are placed on the guide-rod to permit adjustment of the compression ot the coil spring. The discharge-pipe 18 is connected at one side of the air-chamber, as shown.

The lower part o1 the casing 1 is extended beyond the waste-opening as a curved plate 14, and from the sides thereof the cheekplates 15 extend upwardly and carry the bearings 1G lor the wheel-shaft 17. O11 said shaft between the bearings thercoi is mounted the gate-wheel ol which a part of the peripheral portion is formed by an arcuate plate 1S which is connected by integral arms 19 with a hub secured to the shaft. An arm 20 extending from the opposite side o1 the hub carries a counterwcight 21 of a size suiiicient `to balance the plate 1S and the arms carrying the same. 'The sides of the wheel are formed by circular plates 29., and said side-plates are connected with each other by a cylindrically formed cross-plate lf-l which extends around comsentricall y with the shaft and of which the ends are substantially in radial alinement with the ends o'i theplate 18. Adjoining thc outer side of the crossplate 23 are equally spaced transverse rods 24 oi which the ends are secured in the sideplates 22. On said rods are pivotallv mounted the driving-blmlcs 9.5 which are permitted to swing in one direction to a position tangent to the plate 23. Movement of the driving-blades in the other direction is limited by the studs 2G which are arranged in the side-plates at the positions shown so that the blades extend radially when the same engage said studs.

(.)n one end of the shaft 17 outside the bearing thereof is mounted the brake-disk 27. lever 28, tulcrumed on a stud 29 on the cheek-plate, extends over the brake-disk and has a Weight 30 slidably secured thereon so that by adj Listing the position thereof the ln the einem@ ef there@ the vater. issuing from the Waste-,opening strikes thedriving-blades 25 and thereby causes rotation of the Wheel. During a part `oteachj revolution of the Wheel the Waste-opening is closed by the plate 18, and during suchj time the Wheel continues its movement by the momentum acquired during the ref mainder of the revolution. During the time that the Waste opening is'closed the momentum of the Water inthe driv'epipe forces a part of the saine through the vdischargevalve into'the air-,chamber `7, in 'the usual manner. ThereA is more or less variation in the speed "of the Wheel at different Vphases of its movement, themotion being slowest when the plate 1S is passingawvay from and thus uncoveringv the Wastefopening," and from this time increasing in velocity so that the ymaximum speed is reached during ythe covering ofthe lvifaste opej.r,iin`g by :the plate 18. It Will be noted th'atas the closing v-of the Wasteopening is ccnimenced andl the area thereof is reduced, the water will pass with increased velocity 'through the opening, and that the jetef ivaterissuing from the reduced opening, being coniined 'by the platelet, will iinpinge upon oneof the driving-blades and assist in moving' the Wheel. For cntroll'ing thel speed 'of the Wheel the braking 'device' formed by the disk 27 and level 28 iS empleyejd, and when Opel-'afina under 'conditions Where a brake is not required, the lever may be turned back so as 1.10@ to engage the 'dskvWhenoperating with low heads of Water an acllitenal driving Wheel 3l may la@ mounted on'the end 'of the shaft 17 opposite to the brake device, as indicated in Fig. 2,

l A l J A .l r the structure of said Wheel being the saine throughout as the drivingportion of the gate-Wheel.

lt may be noted With reference to the Wheel structure, that bythe pivotal mountingof the drive-blades 25 enabling them to turn back to a position tangent to the plate the Wheel may be actuated in the proper manner when the ram is completely sub- 50 merged in a stream.

It may also be'noted that the passage through the casing l, being substantially horizont-al, `offers practically no resistance to the l'lovv of Water through the same, and thus makes the ram especially available for use in running streams where only a very loW liead of vvater is attainable. l 'New lia-ving described my invention, What claim and desire to secure by Let- 6o ters Patent is:

lira hydraulic ram,fa Water supply pipe having a discharge nozzle with a substantially rectangular opening of greater Width than depth and With arcuate marginal portions, an undershot Water Wheel positioned so as to be engaged tangentially by the stream issuing from the discharge nozzle, andan arcuate plate carried by the Wheel and adapted to coact with the marginal por- 7( tions of the nozzle opening to close said opening, the plate being adapted in passing over the opening to direct the Water from the uncovered part thereof onto the Wheel so that the propulsive effect thereon Will 75 be momentarily increased.

Aln testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence oi' two Witnesses.

J. EMERY LESTER. NVitnesses Devin O. BARNELL, Roy G. Knarz.

@me @i @it Defeat may he @eine for r,ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

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